Safari, Night Life, and Church

It has been a very busy last couple of days! Yesterday we all hopped on a big bus and drove few hours out of town to go on a safari - and it was a blast! The weather was a little cold, but the thrill of the safari made me forget all about shivering. 15 people to a vehicle with no doors or windows and we were off! We saw cheetahs, lions, impala, spring bok (national animal), water buffalo, giraffe, fox, ostrich, and rhinos (unless I forgot something). It was quite the experience to drive so close to the animals. They didn't seem to mind us because they are used to people going on these safaris. The most exciting part was the giraffe fight we saw. I was able to get some video of it, and it was interesting to see their fighting mechanisms - they were young, so according to our guide their fight was a way of practicing their dominance and that they weren't actually out to kill each other. They fight by swinging their necks around and hitting each other with their head. It was strange to see, at first, because it seemed so unnatural since I have only seen giraffes in captivity where that behavior is controlled. At one point the guide let us off the vehicle to walk near the giraffes to get a better look; we all got some pretty cool pictures of ourselves with giraffes walking in the background. 

That night we all went out to a nice dinner to celebrate Nate's birthday. We ate at Marco's, a traditional African restaurant... I had pasta with a cream sauce (*insert friends' and family's disappointing yet not surprised sigh here*). Don't worry though! I tried a piece of Brian's roasted duck which I have never tried before (*insert friends' and family's "ehhh" of acceptance but not truly impressed sound here*). After dinner all 17 students went out to check out the Cape Town night life. I have to say, it felt just like Minneapolis. The bars and clubs played the same music as Minnesota and the dancing was nothing new either. I did learn that when you order a drink with "sour" in it, that means apple pucker here instead of lemon sour like in the US. I learned that the hard way, but it didn't taste too bad. We also were introduced to a shot of "spring bok" which includes mint schnapps and amaretto... delicious! It tasted like an Andes Mint. Relax Dad, we were all responsible and called our driver to take us home. Relax Mom, I'll show you how to make one of those shots when I get home. 

End sarcasm here...probably

Today we were exposed to the townships for the first time. We drove in to experience a Sunday church service and to meet the host parents we will be staying with Tuesday-Friday. The church in Gugulethu is also a community center that was created as a way for people of all races to get together and teach each other during Apartheid. Currently, the community center/church is a place where young people can go after school; it is a safe option for students to go to do their homework, hang out with their peers, and also get an education on HIV/AIDS. The community center offers a strong active program to educate all community members about HIV/AIDS rather than the passive pamphlet for people to read about the topic. 

When we first arrived we were introduced to the family we would be staying with. Trisha and I are staying with Zukile, a single man who lives in a small house near the community center. We attended the church service with our host parents where they explained most of what was going on since the service was primarily in Xhosa, the native language there. The service included a lot of singing and had a few guest speakers. It was interesting to see how lively the crowd was during the singing, but then I was also surprised how many people were playing with their cell phones during the service - I guess I just thought that was a little strange, but I still am not that familiar with the culture yet.  

Today was also a free day so we split up into groups and had different agendas. & girls and I decided to do some shopping and then go see a movie. What I always find interesting when we go to the mall for anything is that the American and European culture is expressed more than the South African culture. I feel right at home walking through the mall and seeing stores that are practically the same as at home, and then I find it odd that every once in a while there will be a gift shop with African merchandise. I find it odd that the area we are staying at doesn't have more stores related to the African culture, and that most of the real culture is found at random gift shops near attractions. I am aware that we are staying in a high tourist area, but I also find it sort of sad that tourists are more attracted to coming to a country that has a culture so similar to their own. I think I will be much more exposed to the true culture when we have our homestay in the townships and visit shops and markets that have merchandise made and sold by the people that live there. 

Our latest assignment was to write a paper on the culture differences between here and the United States. I had a hard time writing it because I am seeing a lot of the same things I see at home - even native African people working at a KFC down the road. The only culture shock I have had is the food so far, which even the American food here has an African touch to it. I do look forward to being exposed to more traditional African culture when we are in the townships. I will be interested to see the more major differences between their culture and my own. While I am there I will not have internet access so after tomorrow night I won't be able to post another blog until Friday (where I will have uploaded my pictures as well).